Page 54 of Viktor

“But what if Mommy doesn’t want to belong to you?”

“Doesn’t matter,malyshka. She’ll come around.”

“You need to stop this.”

The quiet force in Sara’s voice caused them both to look at her. She was livid. Viktor could deal with her anger more than he could that defeated look in her eyes he’d seen when he’d first found her on the stairwell.

“You can fight me all you want, Sara Jane, but you and Delia are mine. I will give you all the time you need to come to terms with that because you’re still healing from your past. You’re scared. I get that, and I’ll work through it with you, but you’re my forever.”

“The hell I am. I don’t even like you.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “You like me, and you know it. Pretty soon, you’re going to fall so hard for me, you’ll wonder how you managed without me.”

“So, you’re saying you already fell for me?”

“I’m falling, sweetheart. Harder and harder every day.” Once he came to terms with the fact she was his, he stopped fighting. The minute he did that, he understood the truth. He was falling for the woman, and he embraced it. He’d searched his entire life for the kind of love his parents shared, and the woman in front of him was that chance. He’d fight tooth and nail for it, even play dirty if he had to.

And he’d enjoy playing dirty with Sara.

“I…” She cleared her throat and ducked her head. He grinned at the flush that bloomed across her cheeks.

The nurse came in to wrap her sprained wrist and saved her from having to answer. Viktor let her have her peace. There would be more than enough time to convince her of the truth.

But before he could start his assault on her heart, he had to deal with her bastard ex.

And that was something he was going to enjoy.

Delia refused to leave until Mason woke up. Considering how much she’d cried, Sara gave in. Her body ached for a hot bath and her bed, but there was no saying no to the wobbly lip.

And so she sat in Mason’s room, trying her damnedest not to sneak a peek at the shirtless man her daughter was latched on to. Nurses had never found that shirt they’d promised to look for. Every time one peeked at his muscles, she got grouchier and grouchier.

How was she supposed to ignore everything he said? One minute she’d convinced herself to stop getting in her own way, and the next she was terrified he’d break her heart if she let him in. He was right. She did like him. Too much.

And he kept telling her she belonged to him. Red flags all over that statement. They barely knew each other, yet he’d gone and decided she was his. He was insane. His entire family was insane. They’d just accepted her and Delia because he’d gone and declared his intention.

If she were honest with herself, she liked the way he made her feel with all his possessiveness. And that scared her because she was coming out of a relationship with a man who thought he owned her. Sara kept questioning if she was falling for the same situation all over again.

She was more confused than ever.

“Hey.” Viktor slipped his fingers into hers. “You okay? Need any pain meds?”

His fingers felt right nestled within hers. She had to fight the urge to yank away from him because of that.

“No, I’m good.”

“Do you want to go home? Mason may not wake up tonight. You need a hot bath and your bed.”

That was what she’d just been thinking. A soft smile graced her lips. Roger never thought about her needs, but from the moment she’d met Viktor, that was all he’d done.

“Do you really want to try to make her leave before she sees Mason is okay?” She nodded to her sleeping daughter. They really shouldn’t let her nap so much. She’d be up all night.

Viktor chuckled. “It’s the wobbly lip. Who can say no when she does that?”

“She knows it too.” Her daughter, for all her shyness, knew how to get what she wanted.

He scooted his chair closer to hers. “You need ice for your face. It’ll help with the swelling. Same for your wrist.”

“I will when I get home.” The heat from his body seeped into her. He was always warm. Their twined hands caught Sara’s attention. Her fingers looked delicate wrapped around his, and that was strange. Sara had short, almost fat fingers, inherited from her grandmother. It was something she’d always lamented. She wanted those long, graceful fingers so many other women had. But in Viktor’s hand, they looked as delicate and graceful as anyone’s.

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